Dezeen Magazine

Aura desk lamp by Ross Gardam features a rotating gold shade

Australian designer Ross Gardam has launched a limited-edition aluminium and anodised gold lamp with a shade that can be pivoted 360 degrees to be repositioned (+ movie).

The Aura light is precision-milled from aluminium and coated in anodised gold. It features a spun aluminium adjustable shade that rests on a magnetic joint.

Aura lamp by Ross Gardam

The lamp is manufactured in Melbourne, with the shade created by a local metal spinner and the rest of the light produced on a metal lathe.

"There is a purity in the use of the precision turned aluminium components and an honesty in the way they precisely slot and screw together," Gardam told Dezeen.

Aura lamp by Ross Gardam

"It was a very hands-on process and took seven days to create the first master, with a lot of testing and prototyping in between," he added.

On top on a cylindrical base sits two thinner tubes: one that holds the light bulb and another with an inverted cone at the top that supports the shade.

Aura lamp by Ross Gardam

The removable shade rests on a central rod, which slots into the tube and is held in place with a magnet.

The shade can be detached from the base, and users can tilt it into a variety of different positions around the joint.

Aura lamp by Ross Gardam

When positioned centrally, the shade clicks into place as the magnet attaches to the flat section of the cone. Gardam experimented with several prototypes with varying magnet strengths to achieve this outcome.

"I wanted two settings – straight and then a 30 degree tilt then rotation, hence allowing the product to always sit neatly and be well poised," the designer said.

Aura lamp by Ross Gardam

"There are a number of engaging things with the use of the product: the way light highlights the table surface when Aura is rotated; the click back to the straight position from tilt; the way the shade orbits around as the magnet connects to the side of the cone," he added.

The lamp has been produced as a limited edition of 25 – each numbered individually.


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"All the products I have created to date have been designed for a commercial outcome and have gone through a rigorous process to achieve this," Gardam told Dezeen.

Aura lamp by Ross Gardam

"There was a different level of freedom when designing the desk lamp as a limited-edition piece," he added. "I felt I could work a little outside my typical practice and not be as confined by material use, manufacturing costs, production time etc."

All products designed by Gardam are handmade in Melbourne by local artisans and craftsmen.

Other rotating lamps covered by Dezeen include the OOO Lamp by Ukraine designer Vasiliy Butenko, TAF's funnel-shaped uplighter for Danish brand Muuto, and Dutch designer Bertjan Pot's reflective oscillating chandelier.